TIDE Africa II Fund
BIO has invested USD 7 M in equity in the TIDE Africa II Fund, a venture capital fund focusing on technology-enabled services and innovation for Africa.
Amount
€ 7,212,033.79
Type of investment
Equity
Development impacts
- Local economic growth
- Private sector consolidation/innovation
Beneficiary locations
Investment field
Investment Companies & Funds
Activity
BIO has invested in the TLcom Technology and Innovation for Developing Economies Africa II Fund (TIDE Africa II Fund), a venture capital fund focusing exclusively on technology-enabled services and innovation for Africa (and predominantly SSA) across all stages of the venture capital cycle.
The fund is the successor to the TIDE Africa Fund, in which BIO has committed USD 5M. Similarly to its predecessor fund, TIDE Africa II will make equity investments into tech-enabled, fast growth enterprises founded by outstanding management teams, serving the African market, with either the potential to scale globally or the ability to profitably serve customers at the base of the economic pyramid, which continue to represent the vast majority of consumer demand in the region and in other developing and emerging economies.
Signing ceremony in Nairobi
Development impacts
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Local economic growth
TLcom aims to provide capital funding to innovative companies whose activities improve the conditions of economic agents and individuals across formal and informal sectors. It supports the creation of jobs in the digital sector.
TLcom focuses on highly scalable businesses with strong expansion to multiple African countries, including the least developed countries.
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Private sector consolidation/innovation
The fund will support the emergence of a digital economy in Africa by enabling the occurrence of recognised success stories on the continent, reinforcing the African VC ecosystem and creating a virtuous innovation cycle.
The fund will support the growth of leading disruptors, that use technology and/or innovative business models to either (i) increase access and affordability to key goods and services for low- and middle-income people (ii) contribute to find innovative solutions to local problems (iii) optimize the value chain and processes in key industries and (iv) leverage local talents.
E&S Impact
TIDE II will
- publish its E&S values on its website,
- review the exclusion list to cover fossil fuels, and
- adapt its ESG questionnaire for clients to widen the scope.
Also, the fund will systematically request a retrenchment plan for collective dismissals at the level of its investees and will share more detailed information for the first investments with the investors.
Current situation
The venture capital fund has already adopted an Environmental and Social Management System aligned to the EDFI requirement, covering all the steps of the investment life cycle. Recently, upon request of other EDFI it has widened the scope of its E&S assessment to include gig workers risks and mandatory external E&S due diligence for medium-risk projects with higher risks (i.e. warehouse, agriculture etc.).
Risk Category: B
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